SW If you want to sit with your kids

[goofy4tink]

Maggie, respectfully, it's just not. That's such a hyperbolic statement that critics of Southwest use all the time.

Have to agree. It actually takes less time to fully board a SW flight than those flights with assigned seating.
I really like the way they board!

 

[Maggie Gallagher]

Maggie, respectfully, it's just not. That's such a hyperbolic statement that critics of Southwest use all the time.

I would most definitely characterize myself as a critic of Southwest, respectfully.

 

[MinnieMSue]

I like the way southwest boards too. I have always purchased early bird for myself and my daughter. She is a teen and now doesn’t particularly care if she sits beside me but it is nice to be near each other so we still buy it. I never thought of us each sitting in aisle seats across form each other. Brilliant! Always until my next flight anyway, we have sat with her at the window and me stuck in the middle and eying the passengers boarding to see my fate. I proposed the aisle seating and she was happy to do it to make me more comfortable. Plus she won’t have to crawl across people for the bathroom. She did comment she will have to sit by a stranger and I said I always had to and frankly to have the aisle armrest to ourselves - worth it. Plus 2 couples can sit beside us. Never would have thought to do this before reading this post. Thanks all!

 

[pixiedustedme]

In my experience, Southwest boarding is no faster than on other airlines.

 

[Minnesota!]

I have been in flights to and from MCO where family boarding was cancelled. People should NEVER count on family boarding as a means to sit together on SW flights from major cities to MCO.

I would say the MAJORITY of my SW flights over the years have had family boarding cancelled.

Maggie, respectfully, it's just not. That's such a hyperbolic statement that critics of Southwest use all the time.

Agreed. SW boarding always, in my experience, goes much faster. And is MUCH more orderly. Love it!

 

[PatMcDuck]

SW boarding is always faster, IMHO. People are motivated to move faster.

 

[MaggieBags]

I would say the MAJORITY of my SW flights over the years have had family boarding cancelled.

That is scary. We just traveled from Chicago to Orlando during Spring Break and neither family boardings were cancelled. But I did buy EB for all of us for peace of mind. Worth the money not to have to stress.

 

[Darklord77]

This whole Open Seat (free for all) concept is nuts. It's like riding on a Greyhound Bus in the sky.

I would only fly on airlines with assigned seating, preferably in First or Business Class.

I didn't start flying on Southwest until 2017. I thought the very same thing and had anxiety about the seating situation. I actually like Southwest much better now and will rarely fly on any other airline. As long as I am at my gate 30 minutes early I have nothing to stress about. I don't agree with the whole "Family Boarding" policy though. If you want to sit together then buy EBCI - plain and simple. I'm definitely not giving up my seat due to someone else's poor planning. I don't care how many "we will turn this car around" speeches the flight attendant gives!

 

[VAfamily1998]

I didn't start flying on Southwest until 2017. I thought the very same thing and had anxiety about the seating situation. I actually like Southwest much better now and will rarely fly on any other airline. As long as I am at my gate 30 minutes early I have nothing to stress about. I don't agree with the whole "Family Boarding" policy though. If you want to sit together then buy EBCI - plain and simple. I'm definitely not giving up my seat due to someone else's poor planning. I don't care how many "we will turn this car around" speeches the flight attendant gives!

So, I have a question about these "We aren't leaving until someone moves" tactics? What if STILL no one volunteers and the flight loses it's place in the takeoff line? Doesn't Southwest have an obligation (to the airport/FAA) to take off on time? If passengers on the flight miss a connection due to something within Southwest's control, does Southwest have to compensate them?

 

[Disneylover99]

So, I have a question about these "We aren't leaving until someone moves" tactics? What if STILL no one volunteers and the flight loses it's place in the takeoff line? Doesn't Southwest have an obligation (to the airport/FAA) to take off on time? If passengers on the flight miss a connection due to something within Southwest's control, does Southwest have to compensate them?

I’ve been on flights where nobody volunteers. The flight attendants will go seat to seat and individually ask people to move. People generally move quickly (though not always happily) when individually asked.

 

[DebbieB]

I would say the MAJORITY of my SW flights over the years have had family boarding cancelled.

Agreed. SW boarding always, in my experience, goes much faster. And is MUCH more orderly. Love it!

I’ve flown Pittsburgh-Orlando many times, never seen it happen. I have seen them limit it to 2 adults, no extended family, and actually said no when they tried to board with the family.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

That is scary. We just traveled from Chicago to Orlando during Spring Break and neither family boardings were cancelled. But I did buy EB for all of us for peace of mind. Worth the money not to have to stress.

the times we had family boarding cancelled the boarding numbers only went into the Bs so nothing was lost

 

[Betty Rohrer]

That is scary. We just traveled from Chicago to Orlando during Spring Break and neither family boardings were cancelled. But I did buy EB for all of us for peace of mind. Worth the money not to have to stress.

one of the flights I was on out of Philly early boarding didn't help. was a noon time flight which was full but the gate numbers at Philly only went to like B15. there were that many staying on plane. should have heard the A people complaining when they got on and there were very few rows open even at back of plane. and yes some had paid for early boarding

 

[cruisin5]

I would love to see SW allow Family Boarding only after all A group AND all the EBCI are boarded. No way should Family Boarders get preference of an EBCI.

Actually, I'm going to email them with my suggestion!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I would love to see SW allow Family Boarding only after all A group AND all the EBCI are boarded. No way should Family Boarders get preference of an EBCI.

Actually, I'm going to email them with my suggestion!

Not that you can't still send your suggestion I'm just not sure how it would work at least efficiently.

The number of EBCI passengers per flight always changes but what stays constant is having the procedure after A and before B.

I'm thinking it would cause more work for the FAs to look in their system for exactly when the last Boarding position was that contained EBCI (I assume they have access to this) to announce ahead of time for each and every flight plus you'll have people with children who will be able to board anyways if they purchased EBCI, plus needing to enforce it. IMO I just forsee that slowing down the process in the end.

Family Boarding on any airline isn't perfect TBH.

 

[Lisa F]

I always fly southwest with my son. It's just the two of us, I always buy EBCI. My son is 10 but on the spectrum and it would not be the end of the world if he sat alone but I am willing to pay the EBCI so it doesn't happen. We've always had plenty of seats to choose from with EBCI.

I would not give up my chosen seat for someone else's lack of planning, especially when I paid extra for it. I know stuff happens but I'm guessing most people who are caught in a bind have chosen to save money and then expect because they have kids everyone else will accommodate them - probably on other routes that is a safe bet but on any MCO route you have to assume 80% or more of the plane will be families with kids and plan accordingly.

I love flying SW because they fly direct from a small airport, reducing a ton of stress.

 

[Gman76]

I find most of this humorous (or sad).

We fly WN (that is the proper code for Southwest by the way) plenty. I think we had just over 50 flights last year. And will be at 15 by May of this year. I read on this forum and on flyertalk.com (best source of WN information) about seating issues, over and over and over.

Yet, when we fly, I have never seen these issues come up at all. Everyone boards, some get stuck in the middle seats but everyone seems to be fine. Not saying things do not happen from time to time, but we just have not seen them. Reading these posts makes it seem like the norm.

As to boarding process - it works. I have well over a million miles on Delta and can say WN works just as good - sometimes better.

Southwest turns planes quicker than the majors. They fly more flights than any other domestic airline. There is a reason for that.

 

[Summer2018]

I guess I am the odd one out on this thread. I can’t imagine sitting on an airplane with random strangers while my other family members are elsewhere with other randos. I think it’s ridiculous to have to pay extra for something called EBCI in order to be able to sit together with my loved ones.

Sorry. I don’t get it.

I would rather fly on a traditional airline even if it means that fares are more expensive.

Let the flaming begin...

 

[Halle]

Were you and your husband on the exact same reservation (meaning the same reservation number)?

We were on the same reservation. While in line to board I heard another passenger say that had happened to her too.

 

[Magical2017]

I guess I am the odd one out on this thread. I can’t imagine sitting on an airplane with random strangers while my other family members are elsewhere with other randos. I think it’s ridiculous to have to pay extra for something called EBCI in order to be able to sit together with my loved ones.

Sorry. I don’t get it.

I would rather fly on a traditional airline even if it means that fares are more expensive.

Let the flaming begin...

No flaming, at least not from me. I agree that if a person does not want to worry about it, they can fly another airline and pay more. Southwest does not have it set up this way--you do have to take what you can get if you fail to pay for early boarding. Some that pay the extra fee do not wish to to give up their preferred seats to those that don't.